


Missing Connection

by Cassiopeia12727



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Awkward Dates, Blind Date, Dialogue, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Love at First Sight, MSR, Meet-Cute, Pre-Season/Series 01, Prompt Fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassiopeia12727/pseuds/Cassiopeia12727
Summary: Mulder and Melissa get set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. Things don't go as planned.
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	Missing Connection

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on a Tumblr prompt by [ o6666666](https://archiveofourown.org/users/o666666)  
> that nocontextnicole shared [ on Twitter](https://twitter.com/nocontextnicole/status/1253907981399404544). Thanks a ton to the lovely and talented [AweburnPhoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AweburnPhoenix) for betaing this! You are awesome!

The rumbling of the water cooler that Mulder was using to fill his paper cup was the backdrop for Ted's excited exclamations.

"You'll love her. Her interests are right up your alley," he enthused, referring to the unknown lady that he was planning on setting his friend and fellow Special Agent up with. "I know that you sometimes have a hard time connecting with the ladies because of your interests, but I swear to you that you will have tons to talk about with this one."

Mulder was listening quietly, skeptical and too cautious to get all worked up about this potential match.

"What makes you say that?" he mumbled, looking straight down at the lever that he was pushing down, while Ted, a short mousy man, was practically jumping around him enthusiastically.

"You know, she's really into things that are a little... out there."

"Meaning?" Mulder asked, disappointed that the task of filling his cup was now complete, which meant that he had to face Ted and try harder at feigning interest. Ted was one of the few people in comparison to whom he appeared low-energy.

Ted hesitated.

"Well, I can't give any examples, and, to be honest, half the time I have no idea what she's talking about," he confessed. "But you know that the same is true for you, when you tell me about your cases or the latest news on the paranormal front."

Mulder pondered this for a second, then asked, "Is she good-looking?"

Ted was baffled.

"Would I set you up with an ugly date?" he gasped.

Mulder glanced over the cup from which he was sipping now. He nodded, and decided to give this mystery woman a try.

"Fine, I'm interested. You can give her my number. I'll be waiting for her call. What's her name?"

"Melissa," Ted replied, grinning from ear to ear, as they both made their way back to their respective desks.

* * *

Melissa's call came later that day, at around lunchtime. Mulder was not a big fan of mixing his work and private life, especially ever since things had ended with Diana. He had thought that he had a connection with her, too.

Diana had rarely had to call him at work, given that they had been working so closely, but the idea of someone calling his work line still brought back bad memories for Mulder.

Melissa and him ended up agreeing on an unassuming restaurant close to the Bureau. It had been Mulder's pick, as he knew the area, which he preferred over having to plan the trip and his escape route, if things didn't work out. He really tried to keep an open mind, but blind dates weren't his thing, and, admittedly, he enjoyed being by himself. It allowed him to fully immerse himself in his work without any distractions or commitments that could get in the way. If he felt like pulling an all-nighter at the office, he could do so freely. When it came to the physical perks of being in a relationship, he had his substitutes.

Nonetheless, here he was, at the restaurant, waiting to meet Melissa. Maybe, just maybe, this could actually be fun. He tried not to think about the piles of files sitting on his office desk and the desk at his apartment. All the casework he could have done, while being here...

The rustic place was packed and noisy, not an ideal location for a first date. The tables were filled with all manner of people but mostly suits.

Mulder recognized Melissa immediately when she walked through the door, without ever having met her. Not only did she strangely look like a Melissa, but the black choker with the New-Agey crystal pendant gave her away.

Mulder quickly took in her whole appearance, while she was still searching for him; the flowy long dress in earthy tones, her wavy hair, which she wore partially up. A faint welcoming smile played around her lips, as she scanned the room. Although Mulder was not amazed by her appearance, Ted had not been wrong about her being easy on the eyes.

Not wanting to have her wait longer than necessary, Mulder stood up and waved in her direction. Her smile brightened as she quickly looked him up and down upon her approach, walking towards him with a casual grace.

"Hi, I'm Melissa!" She stretched out her hand and beamed.

Her voice, which she had to raise to a half-shout above the noise, had an alluring raspy timbre, her eyes an inquisitive undertone.

"You must be Fox," she observed.

Mulder returned her smile, and shook her hand, as he corrected her, "Not Fox. I prefer Mulder."

"It looks like you dressed up for the occasion," Melissa remarked with a smirk that was just a touch disapproving. Judging by her own attire, she felt that he had overdressed.

Mulder pointed at his trench coat, suit, and tie.

"This? Ah, no. I just came from the office. FBI dress code," he explained, knowing fully well that that in itself could have been offensive to a female date, since it implied that he hadn't bothered to change for her.

Melissa gingerly sat down opposite him in the booth.

"I remember Ted telling me that you worked for the Bureau. Is that where the two of you met?"

She jumped right into the conversation. Small talk obviously came more easily to her than to Mulder.

"Yeah, Ted started chatting me up about baseball at the water cooler, so we sort of became break room buddies. We don't hang out after work," he explained

Melissa nodded quietly, then lowered her gaze to the menu, going over the options.

Mulder didn't really feel like eating, but he didn't want to make things awkward, so he decided to settle for some pie.

While they were waiting for the wait staff to take their order, Mulder made an effort to keep the conversation going.

"What do you do for a living?" he inquired.

Melissa's reply came swiftly: "This and that. I read auras for people, I have done crystal healing, I've worked at New Age stores."

She dreamily played with the pendant around her neck, which was glimmering in the dim lighting.

"My life is like a river, and I like to go with its flow, wherever it may take me."

Mulder cringed mentally. When Ted told him that Melissa had unconventional convictions, Mulder hadn't exactly thought about New Age mumbo jumbo.

Melissa continued, "So, what about you? What do you do at the FBI?"

Mulder hesitated. Due to his lack of social life, he wasn't used to discussing the exact nature of his work. He decided to keep things unspecific.

"I used to work as a criminal profiler, but now I work on a special project that is rather... unconventional. I investigate cases that seem to have no rational explanation," he responded.

This clearly piqued Melissa's interest. Her eyes grew wide with curiosity.

"Like what?" she asked, a gleam in her eye, and the smile that she had worn earlier reappearing.

It was time for one of Mulder's usual conversation starters.

"Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials, Melissa?"

Melissa didn't skip a beat when she responded, her husky voice full of conviction.

"Of course I do. It would be foolish for me not to when evidence is right there. I have met too many people with experiences that were not bound to this planet and been part of too many channeling sessions not to believe."

"Channeling, huh? What did the aliens say?" Mulder quipped, a smirk on his face.

"Are you mocking me?" Melissa asked, offended.

"No, it's just... I am not really into the New Age approach to the paranormal. I find that followers of New Age beliefs often make science up as they go," Mulder expounded, trying to be diplomatic.

"Is that so?" Melissa snorted.

"Yeah, I actually wish I had a natural science background, so that I could do some of the testing myself. I often rely on lab people to help me with the analysis."

"What made you choose your career path?" Melissa asked.

She was determined to see this through, despite the bumps in the road.

"My sister," Mulder responded uncomfortably, shifting on the bench.

He didn't really want to go into detail and pick at the nagging wound, but Melissa's expression showed that she expected a more detailed answer.

"Her name was Samantha. She disappeared right in front of my eyes when I was 12. I believe that she was abducted, probably by aliens."

He paused briefly.

"It changed our family forever. I have made it my mission to find her and find out what happened to her, to punish whatever or whoever took her away."

His hazel eyes had lost their boyish softness and were all pain and frustration now.

"So, you are a man who has made his passion his work. I respect that,” Melissa replied. “I could never work for a big institution like the government, though. Way too authoritarian for me."

"Yeah, I'm not much for rules," Mulder admitted. "My methodology doesn't always sit well with my superiors."

Mulder was relieved that he had found at least one thing that he and his date had in common. He sighed.

"I don't usually do _this_ ," he stated, raising his voice close to a yell, as a group at a neighboring table starting cheering birthday congratulations.

Mulder pointed at himself and Melissa and then gestured around.

"I don't believe in dates. I'm not even sure I believe in love anymore, to be honest."

"I believe that two souls can be destined for each other," Melissa mused dreamily, trying to encourage him.

Mulder wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, but what if those two souls never meet? What if they are on opposite sides of the globe?" he questioned.

Melissa retorted, "Love finds a way. There's no cheating destiny. Everything that is meant to be will be."

Mulder scoffed. He didn't intend to be a jerk, but Melissa seemed more than just a tad bit naive.

"And I think that those are just platitudes. I believe that some people simply don't have a so-called soulmate and they never find true love. Maybe some people are meant to be alone."

Melissa's brows furrowed in a display of pity.

"In order to find love, you need to first love yourself. I can sense the darkness in you. You don't need to remain broken, Mulder. There are ways to restore the equilibrium, to find your inner balance."

Mulder interrupted her impatiently.

"I don't need to be healed. I need to find my sister," he snapped.

He knew that that wasn't true. He had plenty of healing to do, and he was probably being unreasonably brash with this nice girl, but he just didn't have the patience to bare his soul to yet another person only to get hurt again. It felt like he was incompatible with most of humanity.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them that was filled with the noise of chatter and laughter around them.

Melissa, took a deep breath, then in a conciliatory tone, broke the stillness.

"Was Samantha your only sibling?" she asked.

"Yes, it was just the two of us," Mulder answered, his tone softer now.

"I can imagine how rough that must have been. I actually have three siblings: Bill, my older brother and Dana and Charley, my younger sister and brother. I'm closest to Dana, being the two girls in a family, although we are polar opposites," she expounded.

"Dana is the rational and hardworking one. She actually wrote some sort of sciencey paper about one of Einstein's theories. I think it’s called the Twin Paradox. Don't ask me to explain it."

Mulder was intrigued about this mysterious brainy sister. How he wished that he could have met her instead.

Out of ideas on what to talk about, besides sports or the weather, Mulder asked, "So, where do you see yourself in the next few years?"

This either sounded like an interview question or as if he was trying to prompt her about marriage, kids, and a white picket fence, but Mulder was beyond caring.

Melissa didn't skip a beat, glossing over his unusual question, as if she had prepared for it.

"I want to go drive down the East Coast one day. Just clear my mind and truly find myself, you know?"

"'Finding your inner balance'. I see." Maybe his snark was unreasonable, but he really wasn't in the mood for this hippie bullshit.

"Wow, the profiler has it all figured out," Melissa glared, her patience reaching its limit.

"Yeah, and I did so without having to read your aura," Mulder bantered.

"You know, for someone interested in the paranormal, you're pretty close-minded," Melissa remarked, and got up.

She added, "I'm going to look for a payphone. This is not worth our time."

And with that, she disappeared. Their order hadn't even arrived, yet.

 _This_ was why Mulder didn't do _this_. Ted was a terrible wingman, and, if Mulder thought about it, also a pretty lousy friend. Why was he even still talking to the guy? Why had he allowed him to set him up on a date? He barely knew the guy.

 _Fifteen minutes, a new record_ , Mulder thought, as a wave of regret swept over him.

"Melissa!" He called after his so-called date.

Melissa stopped, lowered her head, then slowly turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out," Mulder apologized, shrugging.

Melissa could sense that he was being sincere and managed a weak smile when she replied, "It's okay. I'll just ask my sister to pick me up."

As weird as the idea sounded in his head, Mulder’s gut told him to wait outside. Maybe it was his guilt that wanted to push him to not just walk off, but to end the evening on a better note, maybe by waiting with Melissa until her ride arrived. Mulder wasn’t sure, but he decided to follow his instinct.

Thankfully, the earlier rain showers had stopped, with the only reminders of them being the large puddles on the sidewalk. Mulder inhaled the air that smelled of past thunderstorms with a hint of wet soil. It was a busy night filled with the noise of traffic and tires splashing up puddle water. Melissa still hadn't come back from the phone call 5 minutes later, suggesting that she was using the bathroom, which was located in the same direction. He killed the time by watching the changing reflections of people, cars, and flashing lights in the murky water.

Dana had probably been close-by because it only took a few minutes for her to arrive. Mulder heard the sound of her heels on the wet pavement before he saw her emerge from the darkness, and just as he had known Melissa from the moment she entered the restaurant, he instantly knew Dana when he saw her.

There was a fleeting resemblance between the two sisters, but his recognition went beyond that. Wearing an oversized suit with big shoulder pads and a beige trench coat, Dana had even more spunk in her step than Melissa. She oozed both intellect and sex appeal, a deadly combination for Mulder, who had always had a thing for attractive smart girls. The way the light was illuminating her hair made it look like a halo. _Saint Dana to the rescue,_ he marveled. Her hair was probably a radiant shade of red, not yellow, and Mulder regretted not being able to appreciate its true color.

Dana hesitated when she noticed how intently he was watching her approach.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked confused, her left eyebrow arching in the most endearing way.

Her voice was even more alluring than Melissa's, Mulder observed.

"Not, yet, but I believe you are here to pick up your sister, Melissa," Mulder replied, not being able to help grinning from ear to ear.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad day, after all.

"Oh, you must be Fox Mulder then," Dana deducted.

"And you must be Dana," Mulder remarked, his smile not faltering, as he looked into her stunning electric blue eyes.

Wow! When his response to Melissa had been optimistic but lukewarm, he could feel his pulse quicken in response to her mesmerizing sister.

The butterflies started batting their fragile wings in his stomach.

"I am indeed," Dana confirmed.

"Melissa said that you wrote a paper on Einstein's Twin Paradox?" he posed it as a question, rather than a statement. "Color me impressed."

Dana's face flushed at the flattery, but her strong demeanor didn't falter. Instead, Mulder saw a flicker of pride in her eyes. He liked that. A lot.

"I only heard about it today, so I haven't read it, yet. I'll make sure to do so," he promised

Dana nodded in response.

"I take it you also have a background in science?" she asked, as she slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Not quite. I work on a special project for the FBI."

"Top secret?" Dana inquired, eyeing him intently.

Mulder prayed that it wasn't his mind playing tricks on him, and the attraction that he sensed radiating from her was real.

"They keep me in the basement."

Dana maintained a poker face in response, nodding quietly, while she thought to herself that a man that good-looking _had_ to be locked away.

"I was actually talking to Melissa the other day about doing field work as opposed to teaching at the Academy," Dana revealed.

She hadn't really planned on sharing this piece of information with the handsome stranger, albeit that he was a fellow employee of the FBI, but there it was.

Mulder bit his lip and snickered.

"What?" Dana asked, not being able to help but giggle, for no apparent reason, with him.

"Nothing," Mulder lied.

It seemed as if all the pieces were falling into place.

Just then, Melissa appeared, stepping out of the restaurant.

"Hey, Dana!" She greeted her sister, as she approached.

"I had to stop by the bathroom. You ready?"

Dana nodded and gave Mulder one last smile.

"I guess, I might see you around soon," she said.

Melissa could sense that she had missed an intimate interaction between her date and Dana.

Her extrasensory feelers were up, and her brows furrowed, not in anger, but in concentration, as she asked, "Are the two of you hitting it up?"

"Us? No, no, not at all," Mulder replied, vehemently shaking his head, and Dana echoed him with, "Not at all."

"We just met. We were actually just about to say goodbye. Bye, Agent Scully."

"Bye, Agent Mulder," Dana responded, just as awkwardly.

Mulder was aware of the electricity in the air and decided to shelve the discussion of the encounter for another time.

Melissa thought that maybe fate had decided that Dana and Mulder were supposed to meet through her.

The universe had its ways, and she wasn't going to get in its path. After all, Mulder had seemed like an okay guy, overall, some of his snide remarks aside. In fact, now that she thought about it, Dana had made similar comments about Melissa’s own alternative beliefs.

Melissa pondered this, as she slowly followed her sister to the car.

Lost in thought, she only lifted her head to smile back in Mulder's direction, when she noticed that Dana turned around one more time to send Mulder a hesitant wave goodbye.

Mulder stayed and watched until their two shadows had disappeared around the corner into the parking garage. He made his way home mystified, thinking about missing connections, Twin Paradoxes, and twin souls.


End file.
